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The Center for Anti-Violence Education Celebrates 35 Years of Community Service October GM Looks at Boycotts, Hires New General

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The Center for Anti-Violence Education Celebrates 35 Years of Community Service October GM Looks at Boycotts, Hires New General 09.11.19_pp1-16.qxd 11/18/09 5:05 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume DD, Number 24 November 19, 2009 GENERAL MEETING REPORT The Center for Anti-violence Education October GM Looks at Boycotts, Hires Celebrates 35 Years of New General Coordinators Community Service By Ed Levy By Frank Haberle n the agenda for the October General Meeting, held October 27, were the “annual” re-evaluation of previously approved Coop Oproduct boycotts, the hiring of three new general coordinators and an update to the employee 401K plan. The boycott question drew lively participation, as did the hiring of new coordinators, with several members commenting that this item deserved greater consideration than one meeting could give it. PHOTO BY CAROLINA KROON PHOTO Gabriella Belfiglio, Annie Ellman and Judy Loebl. n 1973, in the now-defunct based Temple for Spiritual and IMongoose Community Cen- Physical Survival. Empowered ter, Park Slope resident Annie by this experience, Annie and Ellman hosted her first martial Nadia set out to build a new arts class. Annie and Nadia martial arts program geared Telsey met at an anti-Vietnam specifically for women—a rari- War rally and trained in mar- ty in the 1970s. tial arts at the Manhattan- CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ILLUSTRATION BY DEBORAH TINT ILLUSTRATION Coca-Cola Boycott Friedman, editor of the Stop been murdered since 1990, and In accordance with a nearly Killer Coke newsletter, explained hundreds of others have been Next General Meeting on December 15 forgotten GM resolution dat- that all of the reasons for the beaten or illegally detained by The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is usually ing back to the 1980s, the boycott still exist: violence paramilitaries cooperating held on the last Tuesday of each month, with the exception of General Meeting is supposed against union workers and with the plant management. November and December. The next General Meeting will be to review product boycotts union leaders in Latin Friedman explained that on Tuesday, December 15, 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth annually. Catching up for lost America, exploitation of water among the institutions partici- Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Pl. time—nearly 20 years of it— resources in India, use of child pating in the boycott are 50 The agenda will be available as a flyer in the entryway of the the meeting reviewed current labor and other human rights colleges and universities. The Coop on Wednesday, December 2. For more information about boycotts, learning that there is violations. According to the boycott against Coke includes the GM and about Coop governance, please see the center of only one currently in effect, website Killer-coke.com, seven its other brands, Odwalla and this issue. begun in 2004 against Coca- union leaders at Coca-Cola’s Cola. Coop member Lew Colombia bottling plants have CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN THIS ISSUE State Senate Fails Once Again to Bring the Farmworkers Bill to a Vote . 4 Fri, Nov 20 •The Good Coffeehouse: Jen Chapin and Stephan Crump’s Rosetta Trio 8:00 p.m. The Kids Are All Right . 5 Safe Food Labeling Committee Report . 7 Coop Sat, Nov 21 •Game Night 7:30 p.m. Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . 8 Event Fri, Dec 18 •The Good Coffeehouse: David Roche and Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs Anne Keating 8:00 p.m. Governance Information, Mission Statement. 9 Calendar of Events . 10 Highlights Sun, Dec 20 •Pub Night 7:00 p.m. Puzzle . 12 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Letters to the Editor . 13 Classified Ads, Community Calendar . 14 Thank You, Welcome. 16 09.11.19_pp1-16.qxd 11/18/09 5:05 PM Page 2 2 November 19, 2009 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY October GM and has worked on arms-con- and other comments, the trol issues; she is currently a chair gave more time to CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 membership coordinator and presentations by and Minute Maid juices, Nestlé, does a lot of communication questioning of the candi- Dasani and Fanta. on behalf of the Coop. Elinoar dates. The General Meeting is a librarian, oral historian Ann said she felt the voted unanimously to con- and radio producer and is cur- role of the general coordi- tinue boycotting Coca-Cola rently a receiving coordinator. nators is to be “good Company products. Lisa has a background financial stewards and to in systems management and listen to diverse voices.” New General has worked for Sotheby’s, Asked where she thinks Coordinators Hired Chemical Bank and Lehman the Coop will go in the After screening 120 Brothers. She is currently a next 20 years, Elinoar said, résumés and conducting inter- part-time bookkeeper at the “We will go where we all views, the Personnel Com- Coop. want to go.” Ann, asked for mittee recommended three Several attendees ques- her response to the recent people to serve as general tioned what they saw as a New York Times article by a coordinators, along with the hasty way of making a deci- disgruntled former Coop current six. The committee sion about Coop leadership, member, said the Coop is explained that the hiring of the one that could affect the now a New York City “brand,” and people are writing about the Coop The committee explained that the hiring of the three without a good under- standing of who and why it would fill a significant need for general coordinators who can evolved the way it did. work with automated systems and technology, All three women were who have project management skills and who are voted in as general coor- experienced at working with media. dinators by substantial margins. BY DEBORAH TINT ILLUSTRATION Changes to Employee three would fill a significant Coop for many years. The 401K Plan need for general coordinators vote took on added signifi- Under the 401K plan who can work with automated cance when one member the Coop maintains for systems and technology, who pointed out that if General employees, there is no of other large coops, which a result of prepaying addi- have project management Manager Joe Holtz cannot be employer contribution, except generally yields a much higher tional pension expense. skills and who are experienced present, a general coordina- for payment of administrative gross margin of 38%. The inventory turnover for at working with media. The tor replaces him on the board costs, and the accounts with Of that 17 cents, 13 cents the Coop is 63 times per three candidates proposed of directors, giving the gen- Vanguard have been held sep- go for personnel costs. The year—better than weekly— were Ann Herpel, Elinoar eral coordinator role addi- arately by each employee. Coop’s total payroll, includ- down slightly from 65 times Astrinksy and Lisa Moore. Ann tional weight and responsi- Recently Vanguard said it ing hourly wages, comes to per year in 2008. The typical holds a Ph.D. in social ethics bility. In response to these would no longer service indi- $2,309,311, up from $1,908,806, large coop turns over its inven- vidual accounts, and the Coop representing 8.63% of sales, tory 14 or 15 times per year. engaged an intermediary fidu- up from 7.97% of sales in This rate of turnover guaran- ciary company to pool the 2008. Total personnel costs, tees shoppers that products accounts and conduct the including employee benefits, on the shelves are very fresh. 2%452. 0/,)#9 relationship with Vanguard, a workers compensation insur- The Coop’s mortgage common strategy among ance and pension adminis- stands at $739,370 compared I]Z 8dde hig^kZh id 2%15)2%$ &/2 !.9 2%452. companies dealing with tration expenses, came to to $923,349 last year. `ZZe eg^XZh adl [dg djg &#I]ZEV^Y">c";jaagZXZ^eiBJHI employee 401K plans. General $3,354,380. bZbWZgh]^e# B^c^" WZegZhZciZY# Manager Joe Holtz said the The Coop’s weekly sales Open Forum b^o^c\ i]Z Vbdjci d[ '#GZijgchbjhiWZ]VcYaZY gZijgcZY bZgX]VcY^hZ Coop’s administrative costs were $742,921 during this In the open forum that l^i]^c(%YVnhd[ejgX]VhZ# ^h dcZ lVn lZ Yd i]^h# would actually decline under period, up 11.63%. Member- preceded the meeting Frank >[ ndj cZZY id bV`Z V the new structure by about ship increased only slightly, Riina asked why there were gZijgc! eaZVhZ \d id i]Z #!. ) %8#(!.'% -9 )4%- $1,000 per year. by 442 people, for a total of so few FTOP workslots avail- 'cY;addgHZgk^XZ9Zh`# Cd!lZYdcdiÆZmX]Vc\ZÇ^iZbh# 15,418. This represents an able for members. He said he NdjbjhigZijgci]ZbZgX]VcY^hZ increase of almost 50% less has had to schedule a shift VcYgZ"ejgX]VhZl]VindjcZZY# Agenda Committee Re-Election than the previous year’s six weeks ahead. General The meeting also voted to increase, attributed largely to Coordinator Jess Robinson #!. ) 2%452. -9 )4%- re-elect Uri Feiner, Glenn the new policy for slowing acknowledged that the FTOP Moller and Susan Sternberg down the Coop’s growth by situation is tight, though she EgdYjXZ 7ja`^cXa#8dde"WV\\ZYWja` to two-year terms on the making prospective new said it is better now than at 8]ZZhZ HZVhdcVa=da^YVn>iZbh Agenda Committee. members sign up in advance the beginning of the summer. 7dd`h HeZX^VaDgYZgh .%6%2 for orientations. Average She acknowledged that the 8VaZcYVgh GZ[g^\ZgViZYHjeeaZbZcih 2%452.!",% ?j^XZgh D^ah Financial Report sales per member were FTOP schedule can be daunt- Hjh]^ 6WjnZg^hVkV^aVWaZYjg^c\i]ZlZZ`" General Coordinator Mike $2,542, up just under a hun- ing to puzzle out and invited YVnhidY^hXjhhndjgXdcXZgch# Eakin gave the financial dred dollars from the same Frank to work with a staff per- report.
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